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You could take a harbor boat ride which will go
past Alcatraz and also point out other interesting
sites. Try to take in Golden Gate Park with its
museums, Japanese Tea Garden, etc. If you are there
on a Saturday, the farmers market across from the
ferry terminal is fun. A city sightseeing tour
(leaves from Union Sq.) gives you an overview so you
can go back and visit what interests you, most
also stop at Mission Delores which is interesting.
The best art museum IMHO is the one next to the
municipal golf course (not in Golden Gate Park),
sorry I can't remember the name. Chinatown for
dinner.
Dennis

Visit Alcatraz, with recorded tour option, early morning. Grayline tour of Muir Woods and Sausalito worth the money. Eat sanddabs at Fisherman's Grotto on the Wharf, evening. Maritime museum at the Cannery is informative.

I went to SFO not too long ago and we stayed at the Travelodge
at Fisherman's Wharf. It was very resonable and in that short stay we had we visited
Alcatrz. If you plan on going there it is certinatly worth taking the self guided tour through
the prison, if you go without it you certainetly will miss a lot of interesting facts. Also when your
looking to just st back and relax stop on any corner selling Dungeous Crabs there a must when you
visit SFO. Have a nice trip but 2 days for us wasn't enuff for us, I can just imagine 1 day. Also take a ride on the cable cars and visit the
cable car musem. Mike

Hi. I live about 1 hour south of the City and this is what we do whenever we have visitors and not much time:

Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39
Ghirardelli Square
Coit Tower
China Town
Stroll or dinner in North Beach (Italian part of town), a lot of excellent restaurants
Golden Gate Park
Cable Car from the Wharf to Union Square (all the main department stores are here)
Cross the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. If you do not have time to go into Sausalito, cross the bridge and take your first immediate exit into a vista point that gives you a gorgeous view of SF.
Nightlife: Union Street area, lots of bars and restaurants, ask for "the triangle". South of Market also has a lot of bars and nightclubs.

ARGH! WHy does everyone head for the crummiest and most plastic of all places here? It defies logic why you would spend one minute at the "carny" atmosphere of Pier 39 (known as the "blight where tourists roam" to locals or to Fisherman's Wharf where the food is so universally lousy. I've lived here 25 years and adore the place--Take the Blue and Gold Ferry ride, drive a car all around COit Tower and Nob Hill for archetectural delights, go to China town for a meal, have high tea at the Sheraton Palace, or tea at the Japanese Gardens,and the fabulous China exhibit at the DeYoung, or ice cream in Ghiradelli Square if you must do the tourist thing. And EAT at great places: Pos Trio, Aqua, Tommy Toy's, Masa's in downtown.I'll get off my soapbox, but hope you see the places that bring everybody back time after time...

I agree with Glinda. Don't waste your time at Fisherman's Wharf if you want to see the real San Francisco. I've lived here just 6 short years and I do everything possible to avoid the Wharf area. The real San Francisco is the quaint neighborhoods, wonderful shopping at Union square, unbelievable restaurants everywhere you turn. Just start walking from your hotel and you'll see things you can never find in guidebooks. It's a beautiful, wonderful city, walk to the top any hill in Pacific Heights and breath in the air and the fantastic views of the Bay. You'll definitely have to come back for a longer trip next time.

I ditto the last two responses. I live about 3 hours from "The City" and take every chance I can to visit. I avoid Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 like the plague. Some parts of Golden Gate are worth time spent, but strolls through neighborhoods, shopping at the big stores and little boutiques, dinner in North Beach are some of my favorite things.